When Curt Mellam, executive, widower, and for five years a single parent, prices an imported sports car in January, he expects his only child, Karen, to drive it to Georgetown U. in the fall for her freshman year. Instead by summer, he is dodging bullets as a moonlighting cab driver and has to scrounge for every dollar.

iUniverse (2004)
ISBN 0595327583
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (9/06)


Rush Williams has done some night work himself as a taxi driver, so writing about it was second nature to him. This author not only worked as a taxi driver but has held many jobs in his lifetime. He has been a sailor, counselor, nuclear scientist, salesman, textile chemist, executive and is an accomplished writer.

“Night Work” is a very dramatic work about a man who, in the prime of his career, gets the boot and is forced to drive a cab. Curt Mellam is driven by many things in his life. His daughter Karen is about to enter her freshman year at Georgetown University, his home based business is just getting started and his new job as a taxi driver is demanding.

Curt Mellam is faced with unprecedented danger on the job (people robbing him, shooting at him and the occasional flirt). He is trying to be a good father and watch out for his daughter’s welfare but when she begins dating a cop, his troubles just magnify.

In “Night Work” Mr. Williams took me through the nightly routine of a cab driver which was everything but routine. From the moment Curt got that first dispatch to the last fare of the evening “Night Work” kept me glued to its pages. The violence was mild compared to the real world so I won’t say it’s not for the squeamish. When Curt’s nemesis and fellow driver (Slick) is violently killed while on duty; Curt is made abruptly aware of the dangers on the job.

Curt meets many colorful and interesting people along the way. A little old lady junk collector who tips him better than most affluent people. He gets mistaken for a drug dealer and is chased and shot at. Then there is the man with the sexy wife that thought he made a pass at her and almost starts a fight over it. There’s the incident where drugs and kiddy porn are discovered in his cab and he is confronted by the cops. But Curt also has his tender moments such as the time he picked up the mystery woman (Dawn) and their romantic interlude.

“Night Work” is an exciting novel of fast moving action and intrigue. It could use some smoothing around the edges but the story is good and the characters all very real. For anyone who is interested in a cab ride they won’t easily forget, I recommend you call Curt Mellam. I gave “Night Work” my high rating of an A because it kept my attention throughout the entire read.